HELSINKI (AP) — Through the Cold War and the decades since, nothing could persuade Finns and Swedes that they would be better off joining NATO — until now. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed Europe’s security outlook, including for Nordic neutrals Finland and Sweden, where support for joining NATO has surged to record levels….
BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were lower Friday in Asia after another bumpy day on Wall Street, as investors remain concerned about the broader impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Shares fell more than 2% in Tokyo and Hong Kong and declined in most other Asian markets. U.S. futures were lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%…
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s already dire economic crisis has deepened as oil prices hover near $110 a barrel. Vehicles are stranded with empty tanks, power cuts are depriving students of study time for exams and shopping mall air conditioners are being switched off to conserve energy. The South Asian island nation already…
BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party is temporarily turning away from its longer-term ambitions to focus on pulling the economy out of a slump as the country heads into the annual meeting of its ceremonial legislature. The National People’s Congress, usually used to showcase big initiatives, is overshadowed this year by a “policy pivot”…
TOKYO (AP) — A Tokyo court gave a suspended sentence to Greg Kelly, a former American executive at Nissan Motor charged with underreporting his boss Carlos Ghosn’s pay. The verdict announced Thursday of a 6-month sentence suspended for three years will allow Kelly to return to the U.S. even if prosecutors appeal. Kelly was arrested…
WASHINGTON (AP) — State attorneys general have launched a nationwide investigation into TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health, widening government scrutiny of the wildly popular video platform. The investigation was announced Wednesday by a number of states led by California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont. U.S….
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is closing all of its brick-and-mortar bookstores, as well as its 4-star shops and pop up locations, as the online retail behemoth reworks its physical footprint. The Seattle-based company said Wednesday that the move, which affects 66 stores in the U.S. and two in the United Kingdom, will enable it…
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Bitcoin prices have surged as investors again appear to view the volatile cryptocurrency as a safe haven for their money and Russians and Ukrainians seek alternatives to their country’s financial institutions. After initially falling to around $34,000 following Russia’s advance into Ukraine last week, bitcoin pushed about 10% higher on…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that he supports a traditional quarter-point increase in the Federal Reserve’s benchmark short-term interest rate when the Fed meets later this month, rather than a larger increase that some of its policymakers have proposed. But Powell did open the door to a bigger hike in the event…
Ford will split its electric vehicle and internal combustion operations into two individual businesses to accelerate its adaptation of new technology and the Detroit automaker said Wednesday that its transformation into an EV company is accelerating. Ford plans a major restructuring with two distinct but strategically interdependent auto businesses – Ford Blue focusing on traditional…
